Expressionist Beast
by The Bittersweet Nightshade
Summary: A passionate painter dedicates her life to art. A band leader has thousands of secrets. They're different yet the same; beasts whose hunger can only be tamed by the loved one. AU
1. Enchanted

**Expressionist Beast**

_The Bittersweet Nightshade_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Vampire Knight. Matsuri Hino does.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1. Enchanted<span>**

Magnificent.

I eagerly shifted my position on the wooden chair, tilting my head for several times until I got the perfect angle.

"Hmm . . . this part has too much color, and this one . . ." I murmured under my breath as I averted my gaze to the vast, once blue sky which now was tinted with shades of subtle orange light radiated by the sun.

When light crushed the surface of the sea water, it was successfully reflected, with the astounding sparks surrounding the horizon as an outcome. Despite being obstructed by the clouds, the center of the universe still shone in its utmost glory. Then I realized how abnormal it was, for it was already 5 p.m. and yet, the sun hadn't sunk down behind the hill like it usually did. But thanks to that, I'd got the chance to pour the scenery onto my canvas.

Moving my hand rapidly, I added some abstract scratches using the paintbrush in the grip of my hand. This was the work I'd been dwelling on since three days ago but those days passed by in vain as nothing met my expectation. I wanted something perfect. Something . . . _unimaginable_.

However, if you think about it more profoundly, creating something unimaginable based on something so imaginable was quite a futile attempt.

As futile as it was, I would still do it anyway because I believed when there's a will, there's a way. It's my principle of life, and without a doubt, it's much better than a certain someone's proclamation: we live to love, we love to live. She is peculiar to begin with, so what should I expect? In _her_ version, this statement completely tallies with my physiological condition.

_Sara Shirabuki's version. _

Ruining this perfect moment by mulling over something so hateful wasn't exactly my initial plan and thus, the urge to retrieve my peace had brought me back from my day-dreaming as well as focused my wandering mind on the canvas. Whereas my right hand was doing its duty, the out of work one took a violet-colored oil paint tube and subsequently squeezed it to let a handful amount of paint out onto the wooden palette. The unique oddness of the odor produced by the paint rushed into my senses, making me feel contented like I'd found the thing I've been born for. No one ever comprehends what I mean by that, not even Yori who plays the roles both as my closest friend and dearest sister.

Smiling at the thought of her, I continued on finishing my so-called unimaginable painting. I really hoped this one would actually work out, unlike the one I'd proceeded to ruin last week.

I stared back at the scenery stretching before me when a gust of wind slowly blew into the room through the opened window, causing my hair to end up in a state of disarray. Locks of russet-colored hair hindered my scrutiny, its shapes akin to classy engravings. Bursting with unseen force, the warm, flowing air shoved all possible light-weighted stuffs, occupying the room with sounds of whispers. Occasionally, it caressed my face and limbs with feather like touch while in another time sent shivers down my spine.

My eyes involuntarily closed; my mind and body were savoring the serenity offered by the nature.

In times like this, a hurtful consciousness of my condition would strike into me.

I'm a weirdo.

And I'm standing alone in this world, devoid of warmth and strength from my kind.

Maybe I'd exaggerated things here and there but honestly, I only have two colleagues in total (If a sister can be included as colleagues, then make it three). And to make matters worse, they are driving away from me―slowly but sure. I could easily tell the sole reason for it; realization of the fact that being friends with a total freak will bring nothing but misfortune had dawned upon them in middle school, so they had made a resolution for this year.

I missed them.

I missed the dreary jokes, the late snacks, and even the lame 'girls' time' we had shared together during our Saturday nights which recently had been substituted by lonely and piteous stargazing.

I had a hunch our three years of friendship would officially end in no time.

Ergo, the one to accompany me for the next three years will be my sister alone. It's true that it was callous of me to exclude my parents whose health is beyond well and care for me from the depth of their hearts, however . . .

"Yuuki!" An ear-splitting scream drifted me back to the real world.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Right, I was home, it's no surprise I could hear my mom's typical screech.

Sigh.

"Have you taken a shower? Dinner is ready, honey! And don't forget to clean the mess you've made!" she screamed bloody murder and I was starting to feel grateful for having the house built on the waterfront off the sea; each house separated by miles of distance.

Sigh.

See? Only two sentences from her and I'd already sighed two times in a row.

Unsatisfied at the silence followed afterward, she needlessly added, "I don't want to see your room looking like a shipwreck for a second time, alright?"

Rolling my eyes, I huffed, "Yeees, Mom!"

Ever since the day I fortuitously forgot to lock the door, my mom had been being unreasonably sensitive toward my lack of trimness. And when I said that she herself didn't give a good example to her children by getting into other's room without permission, she retorted back, "I'm your mother. I don't need your permission even if I want to burn the house."

I guess that's just how mothers are. Except that my mom's personality is a bit off.

Correction: _far off_.

Responding to Mom's demand, I sluggishly pushed back my chair and picked up all the things I'd scattered on the slick marble floor around me; paintbrushes with all kind of sizes you could think of, tons of paint tubes, tatters of fabric stained with unidentifiable colors, and others I couldn't name.

Then a sudden pain crept up my back as the result of spending a good fifteen minutes of cleaning, indicating the truth behind my mom's gist. I warily raised my body, leaving the leftover paint tubes sprawling on the ground, and was shocked by the area of my room in which the mess had managed to conquer. Labeling my room as a shipwreck was an understatement of the century. At least the shape of a shipwreck was distinctive enough for it to be identified, while in my case, nothing could be classified as an appropriate bedroom's furniture.

My king size bed was covered by what it seemed as canvas rolls that all I was able to see was white. At the opposite side of the room, was my black-colored study desk, tainted with mishmash of colors―yellow and green on top of that. The visualization it gave out was poles apart from the reality.

"Urgh, this is going to need a lot of effort," I grumbled as I reluctantly forced myself back to the painful chore. "I have to make the floor visible, at the very least."

**¤O¤O¤**

**¤O¤O¤**

"Yuuki, are you ready for your first day of high school tomorrow?" My dad spoke up soon after the food was served, his apricot-colored eyes glimmering with excitement behind the round spectacles.

I looked up from my plate and answered with mouth filled up with chunks of barbeque-flavored steak, "Well . . . I am . . . I _think_."

When his face slowly transformed into a disappointed expression, an immediate feeling of guilt overtook me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Yori throwing me a look. I heaved a sigh and amended my previous answer, all the time wearing a pseudo smile on my face, "I was just teasing you, Dad. Of course I'm ready. Better than ready, even!"

_What a big fat lie, Yuuki_, I notified myself.

He brightened up as if the sadness he once showed had dispersed into thin air. "Really? That's great! Yuuki, you're going to love this place! The people are nice and there's someone―" he trailed off for a jiffy, building up curiosity inside of me. "―I mean . . . you're going to make a lot of good friends!"

There was something fishy about him indeed, but seeing how puerile and naive he is, I shrugged it off eventually.

"That's great, Dad!" I exclaimed while trying so hard to make it sound earnest without revealing the true emotion I'd buried deep inside my heart. I cast a pleading glance at Yori to send her an implicit message, "Right, Yori?"

She jerked her head in pure shock, her eyes instantly widened. "Eh, what?"

Definitely, she wasn't paying attention, let alone grasping my message.

Peeved, I repeated my question, "It's great, right?"

Her perplexed mien was quite an entertaining show, but alas, it didn't last long since she's a fast learner. She understands what thing distresses me the most especially the ones concern with social life, for I'm a loser when it comes to mingling. Therefore, the moment she saw the look I made, a glint of sympathy passed those hazel orbs in a blink of an eye before it turned back to normal.

"Right. The best part is you're the head master!" At this point, Dad had gone as far as grinning from cheek to cheek. "We'll make a bunch of friends!" A brief pause occurred until a sudden sly smirk formed on her delicate feature. "And if possible, finding _boyfriends_."

I had to restrain myself from bursting into a fit of laughter as I was swallowing and if I still dared to, my life could be at stake (I mean, there are some cases where the person chokes on meatball and dies right on the spot. No, I wouldn't let myself die in such a déclassé way). Just how could she come up with something so inane in her attempt to change the topic? More importantly, she should have known what she had done was digging her own grave by triggering the drama queen's overly motherly behavior. The next thing that ensued could become an indication.

My mom landed the silver-plated fork onto the plate, followed by a 'clank' sound afterward. I'm not a superstitious person, neither do I believe in those things, but I never thought I had the ability to sense mystical things, like the dark aura rousing around Mom, for instance. Albeit her face showed a different story, everyone in this room knew better than that.

Yori was certainly, positively, unquestionably doomed.

Man, this was scarier than it sounded like.

"Boyfriend, huh?" The lady named Mom snickered, her elegant visage was still. Turning to my father, she enquired the poor man, "What do you think, Kaien?"

When a predictable silence fell upon the room, she went on with her question, "How old are you Sayori?"

Petrified of other silly things Yori might say, I nudged her brusquely as I let out a nervous giggle. "That's a funny question, Mom. I'm pretty sure she's undoubtedly sixteen by the time she celebrated her sixtieth birthday ten days ago," was all I could blabber which received a death glare from her in return. "Ha-ha, just kidding. Forget me Mom. Just pretend I'm not here!" My gut told me to raise my hand in a surrendering pose."You know, ehm, think of me as a wall . . . yes, a wall! Ha-ha . . ." No sooner had I said that than Yori nudged me to gain my attention.

Her eyes were sharp when she mouthed, _Help me, _baka_!_

I pushed myself to peek at the creepily smiling wife then at the quivering in fear husband.

This is what people mean by imbalanced distribution of power in a family.

_Hopeless_, I mouthed back, my head shook warily.

I guess not warily enough since Mom (once again) looked daggers at me, beaming eerie signal which I interpreted as 'Do not meddle in' and hence, I did as she ordered.

"Ehm," I started in an unsure tone, my hand reached for a napkin. "I'm done here, so I'm going upstairs alright? Thanks for the meal."

I took the remaining silent from her as an approval of my escapade and whispered at my dear sister for the last time to give encouragement before her fight in the battlefield, "Just grin and bear it, 'kay? I'm really sorry Yori, but I can do nothing to prevent her from you-know-what."

I scurried out of the living room, leaving the dumbfounded Yori with Mom whom she had to put up with till the clock struck eight or in other words, not more or less than an hour to go.

"I'll pay you off someday," I mumbled as I made my way down the aisle which only had the moonlight as its source of light.

The house felt darker than usual that walking required extra chariness if you didn't intend to fall flat on your face. It was a rare occasion for the maids to forget about switching on the lights, as there haven't been a small number of them who had to lose their job when my mom discovered even the slightest mistake they had made. Having the asinine thought that by reminding them to do their duties correctly would atone for my sin of sacrificing Yori, I commanded my feet to change direction, en route to the maids' room.

The walk didn't take much time and in only a few minutes I'd arrived in front of the towering mahogany doors. My hand was about to knock on it when my ear took notice of faint murmur coming from inside.

"Heee, really? She's an adopted child? Are you sure?" Asked a girl, her tone was full of inquisitiveness.

"I'm a hundred percent sure! I've overheard madame and master's conversation this afternoon, they were talking about Yuuki-sama," another voice echoed in the chilling air.

"You weren't imagining things, were you? I've worked here for as long as I can remember and I―"

The atmosphere of the room was suddenly enveloped by fear and regret as all unspoken words were swallowed down by my presence in the instant. No one dared to speak a word or move a muscle, even the blowing wind had stopped crushing the window. Beads of cold sweat dripped down around their temple and when I kept silent, the four of them started to exchange anxious glances. From the look of it, they were wondering why they hadn't received any scolding.

The reason was simple: my tongue was tied, firmly.

I closed my eyes shut tight, struggling to push back the memory I've intently stored in the back of my mind until today, but a mere maids' chit-chat had made it ooze out like crazy. My heart was shrouded in fury, lonesomeness and hatred, each of them clutching it tight without leaving space for me to breathe.

It wasn't that I was shocked.

No, not even a cell of me was shocked.

I just . . . didn't want to _remember. _

"Uh, we-well, I," I stammered, lifting my heavy eyelids.

Taking a deep breath to collect myself, I went on, "I just hope you can spare your _busy_ time"―The rage in my heart had set off my sarcastic personality―"for doing your tasks properly. Try to walk down the aisle, and you'll know what I mean." I inhaled a deeper breath. "And, you all should've known that eavesdropping your own employers wasn't a tolerable act, understand?"

The second I said that was when they vigorously nodded in unison.

"Good."

I hurried from the room as fast as I could, just in case the stinging feeling I'd been having in my eyes was a sign of tears. Through my vision, though blurred, I saw the stumbling steps I'd taken, the moonlight illuminating the surroundings, the pictures hanging on the wall, and a door―the last thing which put me at ease. I didn't recall when exactly I'd thrown myself to bed; what I knew was me quietly sobbing there, pillow above my head as a muffler.

And out of the blue, all inevitable memories flooded my mind without any mercy; every word of it screamed loneliness.

"_Yuuki," Dad__ called my name, his voice was calm and soothing._

"_Yes, Dad. What's wrong?" My innocent twelve-year-old self answered my smiling dad. "What is that in your hand?" _

I shouldn't have asked him. God, his miserable smile was telling me not to go any further.

_He hesitantly offered me a picture. "Here, take a look."_

_I seized it with my tiny hand by means of curiosity and was taken aback by the pairs of eyes staring back at me._

They are familiar_, I thought._

_From the left was a woman, her features were like a splitting image of mine: those full of authority dark-brown orbs; the small, somewhat luminous delicate face framed by soft, thick locks of russet-colored hair, each falling to her hips; the smile she formed with her rosy lips that was as tender as a cup of hot cocoa on a snowy day. Beside her was a grown-up man, his eyes were rich of affection that held a hint of power and most of him was alike with the woman, only his lean and board shoulders accentuating his masculine side had made him stood up among the others. _

_Then my eyes locked up with a figure__―__a boy in black shirt. The height difference between him and the other man informed __that __he was the same age __as __me. In spite of everything, I was slowly drowning into his chocolaty eyes__; __like a pair of pools beseeching me to swim through the mysteries and grief it had. Those flickering orbs were just too mature to be a young boy's possession._

"_Yuuki." I snapped back from my pondering. _

_I held up my head, finding __him __giving me that sad smile again. "This is you," he said as he leaned toward me, and pointed his index finger at a baby cuddling in the woman's embrace. _

"_. . ."_

I remembered myself thinking, _oh. _Oh.

As simple as that.

But deep down in my heart, dozens of questions kept on surfacing:

_Why did they abandon me?_

_Are they still alive?_

_Don't they love me?_

_Who exactly . . . am I?_

_Stop it Yuuki! You're getting nowhere! _My inner cried out.

Darkness was the first to greet me when I had the energy to open my eyes and alter my body into a sitting position. I felt a pang in my head, mostly because of the time I'd spent on mourning my fate and the abrupt act I'd taken to interrupt the overflowing memory from crushing my mental.

I mean, being abandoned by your parents is already pitiful enough. Do I need to suffer from a mental illness too?

Oh no, of course no.

So I positioned my hand under my eyes, ready to wipe away all the tears left by using the sleeve of my cashmere sweater while getting up from the bed. I strode out of the gloomy room as my effort to get some fresh air, considering how my headache had reached its peak. The same kind of wind from before stroked every inch of my body right after I banged the double doors leading toward the balcony open, but tonight it felt more chilly and brisk.

I darted my eyes on the picturesque view and right on cue, all my worries as well as distress disappeared without a trace.

Up above the black curling sea wave was the never-ending star-studded night sky. The centre of all the twinkling white dots, the moon, brightened the surroundings with its light; every single thing passed by it was barely glowing and my balcony wasn't an exception. While my soul was still losing in the beauty of nature, I sat on the metal bench to rest my stiff body. The sound of wave crushing onto cliffs reverberated in the air, weirdly having a shuddering effect on me.

"Very . . ."

"Beautiful."

Uh.

Okay, was I crazy in the head, or did I just hear someone continuing my word in a place where there should be only me?

A jolt of panic shivered through me. Was it a thief? Or worse, a _ghost_?

Climbing the towering gate outside my house without being caught by one of the burly guards or getting holes in your pants―keeping five watchdogs to maintain our house's safety was my mom's genius idea as there have been several cases of robbery in the neighborhood, although they have literally bite the hand that feeds them (_I_ was one of the victims) many times before―was an impossible effort, so let's scratch the first option.

I bit my lower lip while turning my head to the direction of the beholder of the voice; my arms and legs were slightly trembling, seeing that there was a possibility for it to be the soul of a dead person. Just thinking about it had caused my hair to stand on end.

Too bad the creature was standing on a place where the light hadn't managed to reach, so only the silhouette was perceptible. From the available information, I presumed it was a man, and when I was able to know that his feet were sticking on the ground, I exhaled in relief.

Now both of the options had been scratched.

"Where did you come from?" I was a little bit shocked by the confidence that showed in my tone. "And how?"

A thief or not, I had to figure out how he'd came this far nevertheless.

He chuckled at me before replying, "The sky? Well, just consider it that way. And how? Flying, maybe."

His deep, velvety voice resulted in me losing my words. "Oh." I added not very intelligently, "The sky, huh?"

"Yep," he responded in amusement and with unknown reason, I wasn't scared of this man; instead, I was slowly falling in love with his voice.

I left the bench as I had my normal state of mind back. "You must be a thief. An outrageous one, I must say. If you don't leave this place in five seconds, I'll call the guards," I pointed out. "One," I started the count, a moment separating every word. "Two."

He didn't budge.

No kidding, this lad was taking the piss out of me. "Three, four, fi―"

My mouth couldn't help but stopped to let myself ogle him, who had just a second ago stepped into the light that the moon provided.

For the second time today, my tongue―Yuuki Cross' tongue―was tied, firmly.

**To be continued-**

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><p><strong>AN:**

I'd like to express my deepest gratitude to _**The Lonely Serenade**_ who has generously wasted her time to beta my story. It means a lot to me. Really, thanks.

And finally, please speak up your mind by reviewing this story! Constructive critiques and advices are sweet, on the other hand, flames are scary (at least for me.) So. . . yeah . . . please review!


	2. Entangled

**Expressionist Beast**

_The __Bittersweet Nightshade_

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Vampire Knight. Matsuri Hino does._  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2. Entangled<span>**

For what it felt like ages, my frozen feet stuck still onto the granite ground, refusing to get away from the mystifying moment. And the most unfortunate thing of all, I seemed to not be able to control my own eyes since all it could do was staring at the man clad in black shirt just an inch away from me.

His pale skin, sculptured high cheek bones, and dark brown hair which has matching color with the eyes were unearthly flawless compared to those of humans'.

This person was familiar.

_Too_ familiar.

"You've grown up," he said, took one step forward, and his shadow loomed over mine.

That queer statement snapped me back to reality while my face forming a deep scowl as an effort to show him the anger I'd kept hidden.

"Just how could you say that to a person you've just met, _stranger_?" I emphasized the word purposely, reassuring myself, even though I was actually devoid of confidence when it came to his identity.

What really bugged me was the fact that I couldn't make out where or when this man had appeared in my life, and honestly, if not for my own dignity, begging him for information to fulfill the curiosity growing inside of me would be on my top to-do list.

I was pretty sure I've seen him before.

.

His eyes.

.

His voice.

**.**

His . . . _everything._

_**.**_

"No one says we've just met, _little sister_."

"_Are you kidding me?_"

The voice I let out was smothered with venom, however hard I tried to redeem it. I didn't have a single good solution for this one because on one hand, a tiny part of me wanted to believe everything this man said. On the other hand, the larger part of it gave a commonsensical explanation to our encounter: he was only a mere burglar lucky enough to be here and was attempting to fool me by babbling specious facts.

Of course, most people would opt the second probability. With that thought on mind, I pushed away the unnecessary predicament I'd had and screamed for help at the top of my lungs.

Oh boy, how wrong my act was.

"HELP! THEEEEERE IS A BUR―"

My mouth couldn't finish the sentence because of a large, muscular hand that had already covered it wholly, not leaving even the slightest ability for me to mutter a word. I cursed mentally and started to regret the impromptu decision I'd made.

Had I been smarter, I would've just punch him on the face without taking the value of his compelling beauty into consideration.

Forget about me knowing him.

He wasn't a burglar. He was just a pure pervert.

"Ferocious as ever."

I pierced him a deadly glare―well, as deadly as I could since it was hard to concentrate when such a guy's face was only millimeters away from yours―and struggled my left hand out from the grip of his.

He let out a chuckle. "If you want me to release you, promise me that you won't scream like that ever again, okay?"

_You wish, _I said inwardly, nodding in agreement on the outside.

To my astonishment, he did release my mouth and arm from his hands without suspicions; his eyes reflected pure belief towards me, so much that guilt took over me for a split second before I came back to my senses and ventured again, "GUAAARDS! THERE'S A PERVERT!"

"Ah, I should've predicted this. You're my beloved Yuuki after all," he said that as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, ignoring the whole situation. "But, no, I'm no pervert, for your information."

God. He knew my name.

And he called me his _beloved_.

How grosser could this be?

Seconds later, I took notice of some noises which I interpreted as footsteps coming near to my room, bringing myself to a more relaxed state. I threw him a triumphant smile and declared "I've got you" in a mocking tone, too oblivious of the things he might be able to do or what his true self was under the facade he wore, therefore, the next thing he did was far beyond my imagination and could be one of the things I would bear in mind my whole life, if not eternally.

"Or not."

Once he said it, he took my chin at the exact moment when his surroundings evolved into a menacing dark, murky aura with irregular forms that emitted a mystical yet eerie sensation, spreading from behind him out to his sides and little by little, swallowing his whole body down until the point where only his complexion was visible.

Suddenly the chilly night air didn't feel that chilly whatsoever.

"What the―"

"_See you soon_, Yuuki."

Then the balcony was left with the dumbfounded me after he dissolved into the darkness he'd created.

The mien I showed was telling: this girl was scared out of her wits.

A sound of _bam_ echoed around the room followed by anxious yells that questioned about what had happened to me, what the scream was about, and I could faintly hear Dad's concerned voice from the outside, "Is she okay, Mitsuki?"

"I don't know . . . wait, there she is. Yuuki, are you okay? What ha―" My mom lifted her hands to take mine as she saw my petrified figure. "Are you okay? Hey, Hey, Yuuki! What happen? Yuuki!"

That was the last thing I heard before my vision went bleak, so bleak that it reminded me of the previous event that brought the term 'creepy' to a whole new level.

The same scene kept on repeating over and over again inside my head, albeit unconsciousness had taken my mind over.

The same scene that made me realize that this was no dream.

**¤O¤O¤**

**¤O¤O¤**

As I lifted my heavy lids, blistering sunlight that shone through the opened windows showered me mercilessly although like always, its magical energy managed to ease the headache I'd been having since yesterday. The events that took place last night was starting to take its toll on me when I passed out. I still remembered those big hands, giving my chin a featherlike caress as if it was so fragile that it would break any time and those glowing dark-maroon eyes―one of the many parts of him that wasn't excluded from the touch of mysteriousness. And the dream continued until the moment he disappeared, leaving the words he said hanging in the air.

_See you soon, Yuuki._

The first time I heard that statement, I felt terrified. _But_ the first time I let the words really sink in, a shiver ran down my spine in a good way. I didn't know his name, neither do I know his origin. _But_ what I knew for sure, I was bizarrely attracted to him and actually wanted to meet him again despite the lingering fear in my heart.

This proved how my mind had gone totally insane.

"Now, not only am I a loner, but I'm also a nutcase," I muttered to no one. "_Sweet._"

The mood was getting darker and darker every second and I could tell it wasn't going to get any better if I didn't do something about it. I got up from the downy bed, adapted my vision to the light I was suddenly brought into, and took a look at the digital clock on the bedside table.

_12.30 p.m. _

"Damn it!"

I hurried from the room and stomped my way to the dining room, planning to throw on a rampage. The people I predicted to be there were enjoying their meal in full luxury which could be seen on their faces.

"Mom, Dad, what the heck are you doing here? Why didn't you tell the maids to wake me up?" I bawled. "School starts, like, _five hours_ ago! Oh God, I can't believe this!"

Mom put down her fork and said in a calm, motherly voice, "Are you okay?"

I was taken aback by her reaction to my improper invasion, then when last night's event flashed back in my head, I cringed at her, "Eh, well, I'm quite okay. Not that okay, but an _okay_ okay."

She smiled―such an occasion is very, very rare to occur―to me, inquiring, "Did something happen?"

_Yeah, mom. An extremely handsome guy broke into my balcony last night and based on his explanation, he got there by flying. Oh, and by the way, I saw him disappearing into the dark with my own two eyes. Cool, huh?_

I bet on my painting collection that as soon as I said that, I would be sent by my parents to an asylum immediately. And be locked in. Forever.

Instead, I told her the first thing that came up to my mind, "Uhm, you know, last night, when I was enjoying the night view, a cluster of bats attacked me out of the blue so uh, well―" I searched for the best word that fitted my feeling. "I freaked out."

"You . . . _freaked out_?"

I glanced at Dad who clearly didn't believe the dumb lie I made up and gulped the lump that started to rose in my throat. "That's right. You know, I hate bats so much that I can't even stand the sight of it."

His skeptical look has yet to be removed when he deadpanned, "You screamed something like . . . 'pervert', if I'm not mistaken, _dear_."

Really, I shouldn't underestimate a father's instinct. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

I glowered at him since this conversation had gone to a ridiculous one, not to mention childish. "Dad, just believe me already. I said _I didn't_!So, stop that annoying reply of yours already!"

It seemed that the tone I used before was a little bit too indecorous according to my mother's basic of manners because, she uttered, "Watch it, daughter." Then, with the skill of a topnotch actress, the emerald-eyed lady morphed back into her gentle side again. "If you say that then, fine. But she's true. You were really annoying, Kaien."

This was the first time I felt so grateful for having a mother like that. "Thanks, mom."

Dad was going to retort back but my mom's trademark, the deadly glare, shut him up almost right on cue. "Err, right. Let's switch the topic, okay?" He cleared his throat, definitely trying to get rid of the same thing that rose in my throat a moment ago. "We didn't wake you up because school didn't start five hours ago, Yuuki. It starts, like, five hours _later_. You're in the night class, remember?"

Uh, pardon?

Seeing my perplexing expression, he went on his explanation, "You chose the Art Section when I gave you the application, right? The Art Section, Music Section, and Acting Section classes are all held in the evening while the Normal Section classes―the one that your sister attends―start in the morning. Didn't I tell you this before?"

"No, _you didn't_, Dad!" I cried and deep down in my heart, had the urge to strangle his neck but of course that was an utter impossibility if a certain someone was there backing him up.

"Really?" He sounded unsure to my statement and realization hit him seconds later. "Oh! That's right! I asked Yori to tell you this last week because you were busy with your paintings. So she didn't tell you, after all?"

That girl was so doomed. "Nope."

"That means you haven't packed for anything, have you?"

I stared incredulously at him. "Why should I?"

"Because you're going to stay in a dorm, Yuuki," he stated ever so calmly.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Really funny. Seriously, dad."

"I'm not joking."

"You are. Big time."

"I'm totally not, dear."

"You―"

Mom banged the table just hard enough to cause the tableware to rattle. "Stop it both of you, or else . . . "

That silenced me and my dad constantly. No need for second thoughts if I still planned to preserve my eardrums.

"Okay, so now, err, I'll just go upstairs," I stuttered awkwardly.

I was heading towards the stairs when mom called up, "Oh, and honey?"

_Oh no_. "Yes?"

"Don't forget to pack your clothes!"

I felt myself releasing the breath I'd been holding, "Of course, mom!"

**¤O¤O¤**

**¤O¤O¤**

The sun had long sunk behind the horizon by the time the limousine my dad and I were in arrived at the school. From the window, I could make out a protruding edifice standing all high and mightily on the far ground. The huge fifteen-storey building was designed modernly, shaped like a cuboid with a curving at the top, and composed mostly of black glass and steel. Every inch of it screamed impeccability and for a split second I was proud for having a father who basically owned everything here.

The school was surrounded by dense forest except for the north and the south gate, which gave the impression of tranquility. I hadn't even started the classes yet, but I already felt the excitement of being able to pour such a picturesque sight onto a canvas ringing inside my head.

With my own father as my guidance in this enormous school, I strolled down the lobby, which much to my surprise was vacant apart from a few janitors, and turned left to reach the headmaster's office. When the door was closed, I asked, "Where are the students, dad? I haven't seen one since I stepped into this school."

He looked uncertain before answering, as a deadly serious expression started to creep on his usual jovial face. "Well, Yuuki . . . before I explain that, there's something that I need to tell you."

His tone was kind of peculiar―too calm and soothing. And then suddenly it hit me. He was going to talk about _that_.

"Dad, is it about my past?" I whispered through my gritted teeth, unable to mask the grief in my tone.

His voice was smothered with anxiety when he said, "Yes. And please don't look at me like that. I've tried to tell you the truth these past four years since I gave you that photo, but I just couldn't." He stopped, trying to catch his breath. "I want us to be a real family, even if for just a short time. I want you to be happy."

"Just tell me the truth, dad!" I tried to sound angry and unaffected but I choked on the last word. Already, my stomach did one of its villainous somersaults.

_Dad. _

"You can't expect me to be happy since the day I saw that photo! Yes, I was young, but even a freaking blind grandmother could pick up the resemblance!"

There. The rage I'd been keeping these last couple of years was vented, but as I glanced up, meeting with a pair of moistened orbs, a stab of guilt attacked my conscience.

"Oh, don't you dare look at me like that! I'm the victim here!" I cried out in frustration, knowing that I'd be melted right away if dad kept on pulling out his famous puppy dog face.

An eerie silence occupied the tense atmosphere between us, then surprisingly, he broke it with a sigh. "Okay, I'm really, really sorry. I thought it would be better if you didn't know anything. I thought you couldn't be able to handle the truth, I was scared that you would break down, and I didn't want to lose you, Yuuki."

I gulped down. "So, what changed your mind?"

As if on cue, a knock came from the door.

Dad called up; an edge in his voice was discernible. "Come in."

I turned around to see who was the annoying intruder, and was shocked to such an extent to be faced with a certain someone.

Out of impulse, I screamed blue murder, "PERVERT!"

"Uh, Yuuki?" I heard dad said in confusion, deciding to ignore him.

The pervert reacted by smirking. "Long time no see, Kaien."

_Oh, so now I'm the one who's being ignored?_

"Yuuki?" Dad ventured once more, raising his voice a few notches, and that was when I snapped.

"What, dad? Do you happen to know this pervert in front of me?" I pointed my index finger at the lad.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by 'pervert'? You know, he is your―"

"_Brother_," my dad didn't have the opportunity to finish because the man who had just gained another title―rude bastard―from me cut him off, his smirk got wider, and the world crumbled down beneath my feet.

My brother is a pervert. And a rude bastard.

**To be continued-**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:  
><strong>

I'm terribly sorry for the late update . . . okay, late is an understatement of the century (it's been a year ;P). High school and Wattpad can be a little . . . _distracting_, you know ;D I have these crazy tests piling up, awesome stories to read, and these ah-ma-ziing novels to buy, he he. So, deal with me, kay? ;D

And like always, review please.

Pretty please with a cherry on top? *Kaien's puppy dog face*


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